Disappearing Act
by dftbawkward9
Summary: When Beckett doesn't show up to the precinct one day, the team starts to worry. They quickly discover that something drastic has happened. Where has Beckett gone, and what will it take to get her back? Rated T for some graphic-ish content.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everybody! This is my first fanfic, so I hope you like it! Sorry if it sucks, and sorry if i forget to update! :P**

**Disclaimer: I don't own these fabulous people. :)**

As Kate Beckett locked her car outside of the precinct, something felt off. She couldn't place it, but something definitely wasn't right. She looked around, thinking she'd see some masked murderer.

"You've just been around Castle too much," she thought to herself.  
Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, yet still uneasy, she cautiously began walking towards the precinct door.

And that is when Kate Beckett disappeared.

Castle strolled into the 12th humming his favorite tune, two coffee cups in his hand. He was more than a bit surprised to find Beckett's desk empty. Looking around, he spotted Esposito and Ryan and walked over to them.  
"Hey Espo, Ryan."  
"Sup Castle," Esposito replied, not looking up from the stack of papers on his desk.  
"Have you seen Beckett?" Castle asked.  
"Nope," Ryan said. "Probably just running late."  
"Probably," Castle echoed, and sat down at Beckett's desk to wait.  
10 minutes passed, then 20. After a half an hour, Castle was done waiting. He picked up his phone and texted her, asking her where she was and if she was okay.  
Just then, Lanie walked in. "Hey guys, I got some progress on the cause of death. Probably something you'll wanna see, Beckett."  
"Beckett's not here," Castle said.  
"Really?" Lanie asked, skeptical. "When I came in, her car was parked out front."

They all looked at each other for a moment, then Ryan broke the silence. "Let's go take a look."

Sure enough, when they walked outside, Beckett's car was parked in her usual spot, front row, third from the right.  
"I'm getting a bad feeling about this," Esposito said nervously.  
They looked around the lot for a few minutes before Lanie practically screamed. Everyone ran over.  
"What's wrong?" Ryan said. Lanie said nothing and just pointed down.  
On the ground was a police badge.

Beckett's police badge.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again! Here's the next chapter... I have school off today, so hopefully i will be able to update quickly!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing has changed, still don't own anyone.**

Beckett awoke to darkness. She felt thick ropes cutting into her wrists and ankles, binding her to a chair. As she struggled to get free, she heard a door creak from somewhere in the room. She instantly froze, keeping all of her senses alert. The door slammed shut, and the click-clack of footsteps echoed throughout the seemingly large room.  
"Hello Beckett," a man said, practically spitting her name out as if it was sour.  
A bright light flashed on, temporarily blinding her. She squinted, barely able to make out the masculine figure that loomed just yards away.  
The man stepped into the light, revealing nothing more than an all black outfit and a black ski mask.  
"Not much of a talker, are you," the man said as he began pacing the floor.  
"Not on your life," Beckett mumbled angrily.  
"Well, Kate, we need information that you have," the man continued. "And we will stop at nothing to make sure we get it."

He stopped pacing and looked straight at her. "In other words, we are going to have a lot of fun."

The team went into overdrive. Checking surveillance videos, taping off the parking lot, looking for fingerprints. Castle called Alexis and Martha and told them to go to the Hampton's for a week, just to be on the safe side.  
"Yo, Castle," Esposito called. The writer rushed over.  
"Did you find something?" Castle asked hopefully.  
"No, but I want you to go to Beckett's apartment. See if there's anything out of the ordinary."  
"Got it," Castle said. "Call me when you find anything, no matter how small." Esposito nodded, and continued sorting through surveillance tapes.  
Castle trudged out to his car. The last thing he wanted to do was go into Kate's apartment. It would make it even more impossible to forget that the love of his life was missing. But, if there was anything in her apartment that might help him find her, he was willing to go.

He drove across town, making a beeline for Kate's apartment. He stopped and got out of the car, making sure it was locked. He took a deep breath, and headed for the door, unsure about what he would find.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi! Another chapter here for you... sorry the chapters are so short by the way, I'll try to make them longer in the future!**

**Disclaimer: Not. My. Characters.**

Blinding pain shot through Beckett's body as she lay crumpled on the floor. Refusing to give in, she choked back a cry, but could not stop the salty tears from streaming down her face.  
"Where is it!" the man screamed again, and brought the whip down again, with pain following close behind.  
"I... I don't... know what... you are talking about," Kate struggled to say.  
"Don't lie to me!" he yelled in fury, and kicked her hard in the stomach. Kate could not surpress the scream this time as she flew towards the wall and hit it with enough force to dent it.  
The man strode towards her and raised his fist to punch her, but stopped. "You know, if you won't talk, maybe your boyfriend will." An evil grin spread across his face.  
Beckett's eyes widened in fear. "No!" she cried. "Don't bring Castle into this!"  
"Then start talking!" he screamed, and brought his fist down, hitting her square on the side of her head.  
The last thing Kate heard was, "You have 2 hours to tell me where the box is before I take him."

And then black.

Castle slowly slid his spare key into Kate's door, and turned it. He pulled it out and pushed the door open cautiously.  
Her apartment was trashed. Furniture tipped over, cabinets standing open. Boxes and bottles that held various items had been strewn everywhere, their contents coating the floor. Many of the walls had been knocked out, their remains nothing but a crumbly mess. The large window in her living room had been shattered.  
After Castle recovered from his brief state of shock, he pulled out his phone and dialed Esposito's number.  
"Talk to me, Castle," Esposito said.  
"Espo, get over here now," Castle said. "Someone broke into Kate's apartment. They were clearly looking for something."  
"Got it, bro," Esposito replied. "We're coming now. Did you touch anything?"  
"No," Castle said.  
"Good, that will make it easier to fingerprint the place."  
"Yeah, you're going to need all the help you can get on that one, Espo. This place is a wreck."  
"Okay, bro, we'll be there in ten," Esposito said. "See you then."

"Okay, bye," Castle said, then hung up.

When Kate woke up, the man was gone. Her head was throbbing, but she distinctly remembered the man saying something about a box.  
She thought hard, trying to recall Castle ever telling her about a box. She couldn't think of a time, but she forced herself to keep thinking.  
She soon realized that she really didn't know what the man was talking about. Tears began streaming down her face as sobs shook through her broken body.  
He was going to hurt Castle.

And there was nothing she could do to stop him.

When Esposito and Ryan arrived at Beckett's apartment, they were as shocked as Castle had been. As their crew began dusting for prints, they talked to Castle.  
"Man, you weren't joking about this place being a dump," Ryan said.  
"No kidding," Esposito replied. "It looks like a tornado took over!"  
"Hey, Detective Ryan, we found a complete print!" a man hollered from across the room.

"Good job!" Ryan called back. "You know what to do. Get it collected and back to the lab ASAP for testing. We have to find this guy."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello again! Here's another chapter... So yeah. Enjoy...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own them so yeah.**

Beckett's mind soon began formulating a believable lie to tell the man. Since she sincerely did not know what box the man was talking about, it was the only way to save Castle.  
The plan began to pan out in her mind. However, she couldn't think about what would happen if he didn't believe her, because then he walked in.  
"Last chance to talk before I take your boyfriend," he said with a snarl.

"Okay," Kate said, taking a deep breath. "The only box Castle has ever mentioned," she paused. "Was at his house in the Hampton's."

Back at the precinct, Castle's phone rang. It was Alexis.  
"Hey sweetie," Castle said.  
"Hi Dad," Alexis said. "What's going on?"  
"I'll explain when everything's over," Castle said wearily. "But you and Grams are at the Hampton's, right?"  
"Yeah," she said suspiciously. "Dad, did something happen to Beckett?"  
Castle sighed. He glanced up and saw Esposito motioning for him to take a look at something. "Look, sweetie, I'll explain later. Just stay there and stay safe. I'll call you when I can." He paused, then added, "I love you Alexis."  
"Love you too, Dad," she said. "Please don't get yourself killed."  
"I won't," he said. "Bye."  
He hit end call and walked over to Esposito. "What did they find?"  
"They matched the prints with a guy named Paul Karopi," Ryan said. "Someone saw him walking into a building over on Broadway."

Castle nodded. "Let's go nail him."

Ryan, Esposito, and Castle led a pack of about 8 police cars heading through New York City. The police radio was constantly crackling different bits and pieces of information, all relevant to Detective Kate Beckett.  
Castle sat in the back, praying that Kate would still be alive. He got multiple texts from both Alexis and his mother asking what was going on, if everything was okay, and demanding answers. He ignored all of them.  
Soon, but not soon enough for Castle, they arrived at the building. Esposito and Ryan went in, guns drawn, followed closely by another squad and Castle. One officer tried to stop Castle on the way in, but one look at the fear and distress in Castle's eyes and he was let through.  
They checked every room silently. Deserted. Castle's heart sank. They were gone.  
Suddenly, he heard a very quiet sob. Castle moved in the direction of the sound, not alerting the others. He soon came to a closet in a room. He crawled to the back of the closet, where the noise was loud and clear. He pushed on the wall with all of his remaining strength as other officers looked on.  
Soon, Esposito walked over to him. "Bro, she's not here," he said softly. "We have to go back to the precinct."  
But then, and loud crack was heard, and Castle tumbled out of view.

Just seconds later, a voice cried, "Beckett!"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey everybody! Thanks for all the love on this story! :D This is the next chapter, hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: Not my characters**

Beckett was curled up on the floor weeping. After she had told the man the so called location of the box, he had beaten her. Hard. She didn't know if her story had been believed, but no matter how much she convinced herself that Castle was safe, she couldn't. She had failed, and now the best thing that had ever happened to her was about to disappear too.  
She laid like that for what seemed like hours. Her broken body shook with every sob, creating sharp, jabbing pains throughout her. Her blood stained the floor, the red fading into the cold concrete. Salty tears ran down her cheeks, smearing the blood that was already there. Hunger pangs stabbed her like a knife to the gut, and her mouth was dry with thirst.  
She heard a pounding coming from somewhere, and she braced herself for the worst.  
Then, someone tumbled through the wall.  
"Beckett!" he cried and ran over to her.  
She looked up, and immediately recognized the only man she had ever really loved.

"Castle," she whispered.

As Castle tumbled through the wall, his thoughts were on Beckett. Hoping, praying that she was there.  
His prayers were answered. As he hit the concrete floor with a thud, he looked around. His eyes immediately fell on his one and only true love.  
"Beckett!" he cried and scrambled over to her.  
Her eyes fluttered open, tears blurring every detail of her eyes to smudges. "Castle," she whispered weakly. She moved to sit up, but found she hurt too much to do so.  
Castle cradled her in his arms, and Kate, beaten and bloody, gave in immediately. They sat together on the cold cement floor, not looking up when a group of officers dropped in, or when Esposito and Ryan ran over, or even when the medics came to take Beckett to the hospital. They practically had to pry her arms from around Castle.  
As they wheeled her onto the ambulance, she said, "Wait."  
The medics looked at her. "What is it, hon?" a nice looking lady asked.  
Beckett reached a trembling hand out to Castle. "Castle."  
"Hon, he's coming in his car," the lady said.  
Kate looked up fearfully. "Please," she begged. "Castle."  
"Alright hon, I'll go get him." The lady turned to the others. "Load her up. I'll go grab her boyfriend."  
As the medics loaded Beckett into the ambulance, the medic walked over to Castle. "Mr. Castle? She wants you to ride with her."  
Castle nodded, gave a small wave to Esposito and Ryan, and walked over to the ambulance with the medic.  
As he climbed on, Beckett's hand reached out. "Castle," she said with a small smile.  
"Beckett," he replied, smiling back and reaching over to hold her hand.  
They sat like that the whole way to the hospital.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys!** **Sorry it's been so long! I've been really busy, and so I haven't been updating. Anyway, here's the next chapter... Hope you guys like it! (i promise i'll post more lol)**

**Disclaimer: Blah blah blah, they're aren't my characters, blah blah blah...**

Rick Castle sat anxiously in the waiting room of the hospital. He sat, picking at his fingernails, wondering when he'd be able to see Kate.

Esposito, Ryan, and Jim Beckett sat next to him. They had arrived about an hour after Castle and Beckett, and were just as stressed as Castle.

Just then, Lanie walked in. She looked like she had been crying, her eyes flooded with worry.  
"Where is she?" Lanie asked. She looked at Esposito pleadingly. "Where's Kate, Javi?" she begged.  
"She's being looked over, getting stitched up," Esposito answered. He comfortingly slid his hand into Lanie's. "Don't worry."  
"Then how come ya'll look so scared?" Lanie questioned.  
"It was just a close call," Esposito said. "We thought we were going to lose her."  
"Why didn't you tell me any of this on the phone?" Lanie cried furiously. "I've been scared sick. Still am, but not as much."

Before any of them could say any more, a nurse came out and said, "Family and friends of Kate Beckett?"

"Alexis, dear, where did you put the cereal?" Martha called to her granddaughter.  
"They're on the counter, Grams!" Alexis called back.  
"Oh! Of course," Martha exclaimed as she walked over and picked up the box.  
Alexis walked in the room, phone in hand, fingers flying. "Has Dad texted you back yet Grams?" she asked.  
"No," Martha said.  
"I hope he's okay," Alexis said, her brow furrowed with worry. "He doesn't send us to Hampton's during a case if something isn't seriously wrong."  
"He'll be fine, dear." Martha put a reassuring hand on Alexis' leg. "Right now, it's best to leave him alone and let him deal with whatever crisis has struck."  
"Right," Alexis said, but she obviously wasn't convinced.  
"How about we go shopping to take your mind off of it?" Martha suggested.  
"Sure," Alexis said.  
"Great!" Martha exclaimed. "Be ready in half an hour, darling."

"Yes Grams," Alexis said, hiding a small smile behind her flowing red hair.

**Hope you like this chapter guys! Sorry it was short... I'll post more soon i PROMISE! :) Anyway, feel free to leave reviews!**

**XOXO,**

**LL**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! Next chapter, here for you!**

Castle, Jim, Esposito, Ryan, and Lanie all jumped up at once when Beckett's name was called. They kind of looked at each other, and then Jim stepped up.  
"Yes?" Jim said, obviously worried about his daughter.  
"Come back here please," the nurse said. They all exchanged a nervous glance, and, with Lanie on the brink of tears, they walked back.  
They were led into a small room, and they crammed to fit in. A doctor stood in the back. The sickly white hospital walls mocked Castle, the voices in his head taunting him about Beckett. He shuddered and shook them off, focusing on the doctor.  
"My name is Dr. Jollison," the man said. He turned to a board behind him. He flicked a switch and the board illuminated, showing X-rays that everyone assumed were Beckett's.  
"Kate sustained quite a few injuries," Dr. Jollison explained, motioning to the X-rays. "Five broken ribs, a fractured forearm, ligament and tissue damage all over her body, a concussion, broken toes." He paused. "The list just goes on and on."  
"Is she going to be okay?" Lanie choked out. Esposito leaned over and half-hugged her, rubbing her shoulder as tears trickled down her cheeks.  
"Eventually, yes. Every injury she has is repairable, with time," Dr. Jollison replied. "It will take physical therapy, though, and possibly further surgeries. We performed some surgery today to fix the primary injuries, but it will take time and maybe more surgeries to completely heal." He looked at them. "Kate was very lucky. If she had come five minutes later, we could be having a very different conversation."  
Castle let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "So when can we see her?" he asked.  
"In just a little bit," Dr. Jollison replied. "They're moving her to her room as we speak. We have no idea when she is going to wake up, but you can go in and sit with her if you like."  
"Okay," Castle said.  
Just then, a nurse walked in and whispered something in the doctor's ear. He nodded, then turned to the group. "I have to go. But, go up to the front desk and ask for Kate Beckett's room. The receptionist will direct you there."  
"Thank you so much," Jim said. The doctor walked out, and the group walked to the front desk.  
"Hello, could you tell us the room number of Kate Beckett?" Ryan asked the receptionist.  
"Hmmm, Kate Beckett." The lady scrolled through a list of patients on her computer. "Ah, here we go! Kate Beckett, room 408."

"Thank you very much," Ryan said, and they all headed for the elevator.

"Come on, Alexis!" Martha shouted.  
"Coming, Grams!" Alexis called back as she ran down the stairs. She grabbed her purse off the counter, slid her phone in the front pocket, and met her grandmother at the front door.  
"Are you ready yet?" Martha asked with a smile.  
"Yes, Grams," Alexis said, smiling back.  
"Then let's go already!" Martha exclaimed as they walked toward the car.  
On the short drive to the mall, they talked about what they needed to buy, which stores they wanted to go to, and how long it took Alexis to get ready.

They did not say one word about Richard Castle.

**Hope you guys liked it! More chapters coming soon! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Back with another chapter... There's some feels in this chapter so BEWARE! :)**

**Disclaimer: Not my people.**

They all nervously stood in the elevator. Lanie was still crying, and Esposito was still at her side, comforting her.  
Jim broke the silence. "I just want to let you all know that I am unbelievably thankful that you saved my daughter. Thank you all so much."  
"Your welcome, sir," Ryan replied. "But really it was Castle who found her."  
"Yes, but the fact that you all dropped what you were doing to find Kate is amazing," Jim said. "She is lucky to have such incredible friends."  
The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. They all stepped out into the brightly lit corridor, and started walking.  
"406, 407," Castle said. "Here it is. 408."  
They all hesitated for a long moment, then Esposito motioned to Jim. "After you, Mr. Beckett."  
"Are you sure?" Jim questioned. "You all have done so much."  
"We'll give you a little time with your daughter," Ryan said. "We'll be in in a little bit."  
"Okay," Jim said, still slightly skeptical. He pushed open the door, and stepped inside. He went in and sat by his daughter, her broken and bandaged hand in his, whispering, "Katie," over and over again between sobs.  
Ryan peeked in after a few minutes. "He's still doing the same thing," Ryan said to his friends.  
"It's hard on him, I'm sure," Castle said. "Speaking from experience, it's hard when something happens to your own child."  
Finally, Jim emerged from the room, closing the door quietly behind him. His eyes were blood red from crying, his hands trembling. "You can go see her," he said weakly. "I... I need some coffee." He walked slowly down the hall.  
The friends looked at each other. Then Castle turned the doorknob and slowly pushed the door open.  
He gasped at the sight that greeted him. Practically buried under bandages and casts and IVs and cords, there was Kate, sleeping peacefully.  
He pulled a chair over to her and took her frail hand, gently rubbing circles on top. He brushed a strand of hair from in front of her eyes, revealing more bruises and circles under her eyes as dark as night. She looked twenty years older, but Castle was even more in love with this woman than he had been just days ago.  
Soon, Lanie, Esposito, and Ryan walked in. Lanie began sobbing, unable to control her emotions any longer. Esposito made no move to comfort her, as it wouldn't help much and he needed comforting himself. Ryan stood against the wall, eyes lifeless, staring at Beckett.  
Castle didn't notice the tears running down his face until Ryan walked over saying, "She's going to be okay, man."

Castle said nothing, just sat with Beckett, willing her to wake up.

* * *

Hours later, nothing had changed. Beckett was still asleep with Castle sitting next to her. Lanie was still crying softly. Esposito and Ryan sat, unable to move.  
Finally, Ryan stood. "I need to get home," he said, rubbing his eyes. "Jenny is going to be worried, I'm sure."  
"Yeah," Esposito said quietly, and he stood also. "We should all go home," he added, putting a hand on Lanie's trembling shoulder.  
Slowly, Lanie stood, shaking. Esposito wrapped her in a hug, and she obliged as he whispered, "Everything's going to be okay," into her ear.  
Ryan looked at Castle. "Come on, man. You can't sleep here. You know Alexis and Martha will be worried sick."  
"Alexis and Martha are in the Hampton's," Castle said softly. "I sent them there right after Beckett disappeared. Just in case, you know?"  
"Yeah," Ryan answered. "But, still, man, you need to go home. Get some rest."  
"I know," Castle whispered. "You guys go. I'll leave in a little while."  
"Promise me you'll go home," Esposito said. "Promise me, bro."  
"I promise," Castle mumbled.  
Esposito realized that that was the best he was going to get out of Castle. "Call me when she wakes up," he said.  
Lanie nodded. "Me too," she said.  
Saying nothing more, the two walked out of the room in each others' arms.

"Get some rest, Castle," Ryan said as he followed Esposito and Lanie out the door.

* * *

"That'll be 42 dollars," the cashier said. Martha handed the cashier her credit card, and Alexis picked up the bags off the counter.  
The cashier swiped the credit card, then handed it back to Martha. "Have a nice day!" she said cheerfully.  
"You too," Martha replied as she and Alexis walked out of the store.  
"Well, dear, I think we've pretty much covered everything, don't you?" Martha said.  
"I'll say!" said Alexis, who was loaded down with shopping bags containing everything from dresses to shoes to hats to eyeliner. They had shopped all day, and eaten lunch at the food court, so Alexis was exhausted.  
"Should we head back now?"  
"Um, yeah," Alexis said. "I don't think I could carry any more if I tried!"  
Martha laughed. "Let's go get some dinner."

Alexis nodded, and they headed out to the car.

**Hope this was a good chapter... More coming soon! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long... I just started high school and homework's a jerkbag... Anyway, here's the next chapter! Hopefully I'll be posting more soon!**

**DISCLAIMER: Not my people blah blah blah**

* * *

Untrue to his promise to Esposito, Castle stayed overnight at the hospital. He didn't sleep much, though. Jim stopped by a few times after the others left, saying he needed to keep making sure she was still alive. Castle just nodded and used those oppurtunities to get something to eat or drink.  
As Castle sat alone in the uncomfortable hospital chairs, his mind was empty. Not even Beckett made it into his thoughts. He thought of nothing but emptiness.  
Suddenly, Kate cried out. Castle's head snapped up and he reached forward to comfort her, but the moment he made contact, she swatted his hand away with her cast, making her groan in pain. Eyes closed, she breathed heavily.  
"Kate, baby, it's okay," Castle said quietly, reaching out to try again.  
"Don't touch me!" she screamed. But when her eyes snapped open and she saw Castle, she fell apart.  
"Oh Rick," she sobbed, falling into his arms. By this time, nurses had come rushing in, but Castle shooed them off.  
"Shhh, you're okay," he soothed. "You're okay."  
"Oh Rick," she said again. She looked at his face. "Oh, Rick is it really you?"  
"Yes, baby," Castle said, rubbing her back. "I'm here."  
"Oh God," she said. "What happened?"  
Castle didn't know where to begin. "Well, someone took you. And beat you up really bad." He paused. "But, you're okay now. You're safe and being taken care of."  
Beckett's eyes widened with a sudden recognition of the recent events. She looked at Castle with fearful eyes. "Oh Rick," she said. "The man kept asking me where a box was but I didn't know anything about a box and he beat me every time he thought I was lying and he said he'd take you if I didn't give him answers and so I lied and told him that the box was at your house in the Hampton's."  
Castle's eyes widened with fear. "The Hampton's?" he managed to choke out.  
Beckett's eyes became dark with concern. "Yes?"

"Oh God," Castle gasped. "That's where I sent Mom and Alexis."

* * *

After a filling meal of burgers and fries, Alexis and Martha had gone to see a movie. They had begun to drive back to the house when Alexis' phone rang.  
"It's Dad!" she exclaimed before answerig the call.  
"Hi Dad," she said. "Are you-"  
"Alexis, listen to me. You and Grams need to come home. Now. Don't ask any questions, just drop what you're doing and go to the loft."  
"But-"  
"No buts, Alexis. This is serious. Get in the car and drive home right now." Then a click.  
"What did he say Alexis?" Martha asked, concerned with the look of shock and fear on her granddaughter's face.  
"Dad said we need to come home now. Said it's serious."  
Martha frowned. It wasn't like her son to not give them any information.  
Which probably meant that it was a life or death situation.

Martha did a quick U-turn and began taking the quickest route to New York City.

* * *

Castle called Alexis immediately, and told her to leave the Hampton's and go straight to the loft. At first, she objected, but he wasn't going to argue. He hung up the phone, hoping his daughter would make the right decision.  
"I'm sorry, Castle," Beckett said quietly.  
"For what?" Castle asked.  
"For putting your family in danger," she said, a tear trickling down her bruised face. "I was trying to keep you safe, but I didn't think about you trying to do the same thing for your family."  
"Oh, Kate," Castle said, lightly kissing the tear off of her cheek. "You couldn't have known. You were otherwise occupied and in no position to worry about Alexis or Martha. I'm quite flattered that you even thought about me."

Kate smiled. "Oh, Rick, how I could I forget about you."


	10. ANNOUNCEMENT

A/N!

Hey y'all. So you may have noticed that I took down the last two chapters. That is because they weren't very well written in my opinion, and I know I can do better. The reason I posted them is because 1. I really needed to update the story, and 2. I didn't really know how to improve them. I got some reviews and feedback from you guys, which I will use to re-write those two chapters. I will repost the last two chapters, and possibly expand on the story beyond that, but for now I'm taking them down while I do edits and rewrites. I'll repost one chapter some time this week for sure, and go from there. Thanks so much for your feedback, and thank you for understanding! xoxoxoxo


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